TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: May 01 2015 1:03am

by dnmun

if the guvment is gonna force the utilities to close alotta power plants to meet the new regulations then there will be even worse power outages in the future so this is almost like a guaranteed business now because every place where they want to be able to continue working after the grid drops out will wanna buy at least some storage to tide them over each event along with the backup power generators but they take a few seconds to spin up and start making power. gotta have something to bridge the gap so every electronic device does not reset during the blip. everybody will be buying them and it is a deductable business investment too. not like a luxury auto, which i guess could be written off somehow.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

"In addition to building its own engines, rocket bodies, and capsules, SpaceX designs its own motherboards and circuits, sensors to detect vibrations, flight computers, and solar panels," Vance wrote. "The cost savings for a homemade radio are dramatic, dropping from between $50,000 to $100,000 for the industrial-grade equipment used by aerospace companies to $5,000 for SpaceX's unit."

We've discussed before what the vision is, short term: A reusable rocket that can fly over and over and over again, one that could quite literally make it impossible for anyone--including massive government contractors with deep pockets--to compete with Musk until they follow suit.

But, in the meantime, SpaceX has been going to crazy-seeming lengths to cut the costs of its Falcon 9 rocket, reusable or not.

"There are dozens if not hundreds of places where SpaceX has secured such savings," Vance wrote, referring to the $5,000 radio, which, like many SpaceX parts, was made out of consumer electronics-level equipment, not "space grade" stuff.

But how do you know if a $5,000 radio designed in-house is going to work against the tried-and-true legacy parts? How do you build the entire rocket's avionics computer system for just over $10,000, when standard rocket companies use systems that cost in the neighborhood of $10 million?

Well, you test both of them on the same flight. While we've been watching SpaceX try to land a rocket on a boat, Vance notes that the company has been performing dozens of experiments in secret. It'll load a rocket with both the legacy part and the one it's designed in house, and test them both without making a big deal out of it.

"Engineers then compare the performance characteristics of the devices. Once a SpaceX design equals or outperforms the commercial products, it becomes the de facto hardware," Vance wrote.

Musk did this type of thing with Tesla too, of course, but with SpaceX, he not only trusted people who had no hardware designing experience to make things that would fly on a real-life rocket, he demanded that they make something best-in-class for absurdly low prices on absurdly short deadlines.

Vance relays a story from 2004, in which Musk asked Steve Davis, now SpaceX's director of advanced projects, to source an actuator that would help the second stage of the Falcon 1 rocket steer itself.

"Naturally, [Davis] went out to find some suppliers who could make an electro-mechanical actuator for him. He got a quote back for $120,000," Vance wrote. "'Elon laughed,' Davis said. 'He said, 'That part is no more complicated than a garage door opener. Your budget is $5,000. Go make it work.''"

Davis spent nine months designing and building the thing for a grand total of $3,900.

Repeat that process hundreds of times, and you've got a rocket that's cheaper and, seemingly, just as reliable as anything that's ever been made.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: May 19 2015 9:30pm

by Hillhater

Mitch...that's the 3rd thread you have made exactly the same post in !
You know that is just plain bad forum protocol !
....and if you really do think that is factual and that unit only cost $3900 , ....you are fooling yourself.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

At least that’s the word on the street after Story County official Dean Haymore revealed that the electric vehicle/battery maker initially bought a thousand acres to start with, then recently swooped up another 1,200 acres and another 350 acres on top of that.

As Tech News Today writes, Tesla “initially intended to purchase 10 million square-feet of land for its Gigafactory, but after recent plans of acquisitions, it seems Tesla will end up with more than 24 million square-feet of land, making it the largest factory in the world.”

... “With a planned production rate of 500,000 cars per year in the latter half of this decade, Tesla alone will require today’s entire worldwide production of lithium ion batteries,” the company said. “The Tesla Gigafactory was born of necessity and will supply enough batteries to support our projected vehicle demand.”

...Tesla’s CEO makes it no secret that he’s planning on revolutionizing the energy grid. “Our goal here is to fundamentally change the way the world uses energy,” Musk told Bloomberg. “We’re talking at the terawatt scale. The goal is complete transformation of the entire energy infrastructure of the world.”

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Jul 14 2015 3:57pm

by LockH

Hehe. And Ebike Nation leading the charge (pun intended) w/tiny, much more energy efficient vehicles (verses the Tesla cars, etc that will injure/kill but in a more "Eco Friendly" fashion).

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 14 2015 12:41pm

by The fingers

Tesla Gigafactory, another drone fly by. Area 61. Not yet patrolled by electric bikes. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/09/11/dron ... -469332841
When complete, the Tesla Gigafactory could be the largest building in the world, covering a mammoth 10-million square feet of floor space. While the future battery plant is still quite a ways away from claiming that honor, construction appears to be coming along briskly. A recent drone fly over offers a great look at the pace of the work, making it possible to imagine what the structure might really look like when complete. Did we mention it will be big?
Compared to the last drone flyover of the pilot plant we saw in May, the Gigafactory now sports an actual façade along much of its exterior. A small parking lot is now in place, too. As a sign of the progress, there also looks to be a lot more machinery surrounding the site to make sure everything gets done on time. According to Elon Musk, battery production needs to be underway there in 2017 in order to support the launch of the Model 3, Tesla's lower-cost electric vehicle. While we like watching the building develop, with so much still to be done, that time is going to tick by quite quickly. Stay through until the end to see the drone gain some altitude and get a real sense of scale of this behemoth construction project in Nevada.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 14 2015 6:59pm

by Hillhater

They have some way to go for that 10m ft Sqr ....that would be a mile long and near 1/2 mile wide !
I doubt that the building shown is much more than 1mill ft Sqr.
( maybe that is just Elons office or Board room ! )
And I doubt the site is big enough for one 10 times bigger !
It certainly does not look anywhere near as big as Boeings Everett building which is ~4 mil ftsqr
Anyone local that can check the planning submissions ?
Edit..
this previously published comparison, suggests the GF will be similar size to the Boeing building
So in order to get that 10mil ft sqr they will have to be counting on using a 2 story production floor.
Anyone wanting to follow this in more detail , the Tesla blog is a good place..https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/co ... 21_photos/

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 15 2015 3:59pm

by Joseph C.

Latest satellite image on Inside EVs. The already constructed building is just a tiny portion of the final factory scheduled to be fully completed in 2020.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 15 2015 4:39pm

by Hillhater

.....If you look closely, you’ll see the Gigafactory as it is today, as well as on outline of the 10 million square-foot projected footprint that the Gigafactory will occupy at some point in the far-off future (2020).

The current Gigafactory occupies a space of approximately 500 meters by 150 meters (2 stories tall), but the project future Gigafactory is closer to 1,000 meters by 425 meters.....

Those numbers put the current building at approx 800.000 ft Sqr, ....and the final GF "footprint". at 4.5 mil ft Sqr !
I guess they don't know the meaning of. " footprint"
It's a 2 story building, so the total "floor area" will be nearer to 10 mil ft Sqr.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 15 2015 6:09pm

by Joseph C.

Hillhater wrote:
Those numbers put the current building at approx 800.000 ft Sqr, ....and the final GF "footprint". at 4.5 mil ft Sqr !
I guess they don't know the meaning of. " footprint"
It's a 2 story building, so the total "floor area" will be nearer to 10 mil ft Sqr.

Or in proper numbers 42.5 hectares. It would take the average person more than half an hour to walk around the building once.

Just keeping with the original data .......and trying to keep it understandable for our "Colonial cousins" !

PS. It's not often you see a building quoted in Hectares !

But the GF is still a small fry compared to some other buildings..

Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 is an airport terminal at Dubai International Airport serving Dubai, UAE. When completed and opened on 14 October 2008, it was the largest building in the world and is currently the world's largest airport terminal, with over 1,713,000 m2 (18,440,000 sq ft) of space.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 16 2015 7:23am

by Punx0r

Hectare is a unit I very rarely hear anyone use. I had to look up what it is: it's one hundred ("hect") are. An are being one hundred square-metres. So 1 hectare = 10,000 square-metres. It's a bit clunky, and if you suspect it's probably French in origin, you are correct

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 16 2015 8:34am

by Joseph C.

Punx0r wrote:Hectare is a unit I very rarely hear anyone use. I had to look up what it is: it's one hundred ("hect") are. An are being one hundred square-metres. So 1 hectare = 10,000 square-metres. It's a bit clunky, and if you suspect it's probably French in origin, you are correct

Hectares are used everywhere. Especially by auctioneers. And it's really handy to visualise a square 100 metres across. Contrast that with the gibberish that is acres with its 208.7 by 208.7 feet squares. Completely mental stuff. What the hell is that about? The imperialist system was invented by a bunch of people plucking random numbers out of their arse and then trying to convince others that the end result didn't stink.

Hectares are perfect for large building and plots of land. Square kilometres undersell size. The Gigafactory would be .425 of a square kilometre. Whereas 42.5 hectares sounds much better.

France's best contribution to humanity has been the metric system. The imperialist system is easily Britain's worst contribution to the world. If ever a time machine is invented it should be used to assassinate the people who invented imperialist measures.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 16 2015 5:41pm

by Punx0r

I'm not advocating one or the other. I have no problem with square-metres. A hectare, like an acre is not an SI unit, but I figure both are used because they are practical for describing something of a certain scale.

FWIW an acre is an area 1 chain by 1 furlong (22 x 220 yds). It was considered the amount of land that could be ploughed in a day with a yoke of oxen, hence a unit of measure based on practical application.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 16 2015 6:05pm

by Joseph C.

Punx0r wrote:I'm not advocating one or the other. I have no problem with square-metres. A hectare, like an acre is not an SI unit, but I figure both are used because they are practical for describing something of a certain scale.

FWIW an acre is an area 1 chain by 1 furlong (22 x 220 yds). It was considered the amount of land that could be ploughed in a day with a yoke of oxen, hence a unit of measure based on practical application.

So what you're telling me is that an acre needs at least two other random numbered units for it make sense.

"A chain (ch) is a unit of length. It measures 66 feet, or 22 yards, or 100 links,[1] or 4 rods (20.1168 m). There are 10 chains in a furlong, and 80 chains in one statute mile. An acre is the area of 10 square chains (that is, an area of one chain by one furlong). The chain has been used for several centuries in Britain and in some other countries influenced by British practice."

But the rabbit hole gets worse. Behold the origin of the yard.

"The origin of the measure is uncertain. Both the Romans and the Welsh used multiples of a shorter foot, but 2½ Roman feet was a "step" (gradus) and 3 Welsh feet was a "pace" (cam). The Proto-Germanic cubit or arm's-length has been reconstructed as *alinâ, which developed into the Old English ęln, Middle English elne, and modern ell of 1¼ yd. This has led some to derive the yard of three English feet from pacing; others from the ell or cubit; others from Henry I's arm standard (see below). Based on the etymology of the other "yard", others suggest it originally derived from the girth of a person's waist, while others believe it originated as a cubic measure."

And worse again:

"The link (usually abbreviated as "l.", "li." or "lnk."), sometimes called a Gunter’s link, is a unit of length formerly used in many English-speaking countries. A link is exactly 66⁄100 of a foot,[1] or exactly 7.92 inches.

The unit is based on Gunter's chain, a metal chain 66 feet long with 100 links, that was formerly used in land surveying. Even after the original tool was replaced by later instruments of higher precision, the unit itself was commonly used in this application throughout the English-speaking world (e.g. in the United States customary system of measurements and the Imperial system). The length of the foot, and hence the link, varied slightly from place to place and time to time, but in modern times the difference between, say, the US survey foot and the international foot is two parts per million. The link fell out of general use in the 20th century."

But it doesn't end there:

"The rod or perch or pole is a surveyors tool[1] and unit of length equal to 51⁄2 yards, 161⁄2 feet or 1⁄320 of a statute mile and one-fourth of a surveyor's chain. The rod is useful as a unit of length because whole number multiples of it can equal one acre of square measure. The 'perfect acre'[2] is a rectangular area of 43,560 square feet, bounded by sides 660 feet by 66 feet long (660 ft long × 66 ft wide), or 220 yards by 22 yards long (220 yd/ long × 22 yd wide), or 40 rods by 4 rods long. Thus, an acre is 160 square rods. Since the adoption of the international yard on 1 July 1959, the rod has been equal to exactly 5.0292 meters."

To quote blackadder: “Worst idea since someone said ‘yeah let’s take this suspiciously large wooden horse into Troy, statues are all the rage this season’.”

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 16 2015 6:36pm

by Hillhater

..and how about the Aussie derived unit of the. "Square" !?
Often used by builders and realtors.
IE.. "That house is 10 Squares.."

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 16 2015 6:43pm

by Joseph C.

Hillhater wrote: ..and how about the Aussie derived unit of the. "Square" !?
Often used by builders and realtors.
IE.. "That house is 10 Squares.."

I don't even know why I'm laughing - I've no idea what a square is.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 16 2015 7:35pm

by speedmd

A square is 10'x10' (10 feet x 10 feet) in roofing terms.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 16 2015 9:12pm

by The fingers

Believe it or not, back in the day to ride a bike was considered L7.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 17 2015 11:04pm

by LockH

Joseph C. wrote:"The link (usually abbreviated as "l.", "li." or "lnk."), sometimes called a Gunter’s link, is a unit of length formerly used in many English-speaking countries. A link is exactly 66⁄100 of a foot,[1] or exactly 7.92 inches.

HA! My link to this thread is waaaaay longer. Geographically speaking, I mean. I guess. Maybe.

Overheard conversation "Hey! Have you seen that new Tesla-sized shopping mall?"

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 21 2015 11:16pm

by Hillhater

..Maybe even bigger ?...

according to a Story County official, Dean Haymore, Tesla is planning 7 “blocks” (with one block being the under-construction Gigafactory). It has bought another 1,200 acres of land right next to the land it already owns and is building the Gigafactory on, more than doubling its acreage there, and is looking to buy another 350 acres.
If all 7 “blocks” are used as expected, the Tesla factory footprint there would go from 10 million square feet (original plan) to 24 million square feet. If you haven’t already done the math, that would make it the largest building (in terms of footprint) on Earth.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Sep 21 2015 11:23pm

by BVH

Looks like they're going for a 2-mile by 2-mile plot of land if it's square shaped.

Re: TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

Posted: Jan 31 2016 8:16am

by LockH

Medias express "concerns" re lithium use...

Tesla’s announcement in April that it would be moving into commercial and residential energy storage was met with almost unanimous applause. The reality is not so clear-cut

Stuff like: As hundreds of thousands more of these batteries hit the market, the problems that come with lithium mining, battery lifecycles and recycling loom large.

Lithium MINING maybe... BUT per Wiki "The total lithium content of seawater is very large and is estimated as 230 billion tonnes."

... and the article states "According to Tesla’s Brooklyn, the company will conduct onsite recycling of lithium ion batteries at the Gigafactory, capturing nickel, aluminum and lithium for use in new battery cells. And Panasonic’s Herman says he expects to ultimately see recycling rates at close to 100% for lithium-ion batteries."